Chapter 308: Vibrant with Life

When another squad also vanished mysteriously near the core compartment, an unease verging on panic inevitably spread.

And the reality of being lost in an unknown star sector, trapped in deep space, only amplified that panic.

The Wise One had no choice but to order everyone aboard the "Pillar of Order" to inject a dose of Toughness Compound to fend off that creeping fear and ensure order on the ship.

But he could sense that the fear hadn't disappeared—it was still breeding and spreading in the shadows, like a malevolent spirit behind a curtain, stirring restlessly, trying to break through the barrier of reason.

"...Inferior iterative products..."

Looking at the cultivators busy with their heads down but clueless about what they should actually be doing, the old man in the white robe sitting at the head seat furrowed his brow and cursed inwardly.

"We just lost contact with the lower mechanical compartment," an Invisible Monastery member reported cautiously as he approached, bowing his head beside the old man. "During the last communication, they said there was noise coming from the pipe interlayers, so they were going out to inspect the equipment. Then they disappeared. The surveillance system only captured them leaving the hatch."

"How are the engines?" the Wise One asked in a deep voice. "When can we jump again?"

"The engines are already charging, but part of the power lines are offline. Charging efficiency is only one-third of normal. It'll take at least another hour to start, and furthermore..." The cultist reporting swallowed hard. "We still haven't found that 'intruder,' and we can't be sure why the previous jump failed. Even after charging is complete, a reckless jump would probably be..."

"I don't need you to remind me of the risks. I'll judge that myself when the time comes. Now tell me—how many compartments have we lost contact with? How many areas are still under our control?"

"The mechanical compartment, supply compartment, data center, residential zones 2 through 4, and the D-1 and D-2 connecting sections have all lost contact. The rest are still under control, but..."

The Wise One's tone was displeased. "But what?"

"But... there's something very wrong. The ship's sensory system keeps returning noise that can't be filtered out," the cultist said, unconsciously adjusting his stance. "Even in compartments where communications are still normal and personnel are safe, the sensory system is sending back very strange signals. It feels like, like..."

"Don't stammer!"

"Like the entire 'Pillar of Order' is infected with some kind of 'disease.' Part of its structure is changing, identified as 'foreign matter' by the sensory system, but these structures can't actually be removed. And aside from that noise from the sensory system, all the signals from sensors and surveillance are normal...

"Also, some personnel in certain compartments have reported 'hallucinations.' They feel something crawling inside the walls, or feel someone talking to them through the ventilation system in their rooms. One mechanic even directly said... said his tool cabinet was watching him, that there were several pairs of eyes inside it."

The Wise One said nothing, only brooding with a grim expression.

The inferior iterative products were riddled with flaws; their fragile neural structures were easily affected by external environments, just like ordinary mortals. But their loyalty and endurance were still beyond question. Their reports might contain deviations, but there would never be intentional exaggeration or gibberish born of fear.

They truly sensed something—some kind of "alienation" was spreading across the entire ship.

And thinking back to the squads that had disappeared earlier, and those "Knights" who had inexplicably vanished from the command link... their disappearance seemed less like an attack and more like being devoured by this ship—swallowed cleanly.

The Wise One slowly stood up, overlooking the hall. His gaze seemed to penetrate the surrounding walls and floor, seeing the entire majestic "Tower."

The Pillar of Order—a proud creation of the Invisible Monastery. Each such starship bore the mission of repairing the world's order and reshaping the fabric of space-time. Its core came from the great Forge World "Radar," and every batch of metal used in its construction had received the personal blessing of a Living Saint. Whether it had been assembled at some industrial world or at a distant, barbaric expedition camp, its sanctity was beyond doubt and should not be challenged.

But now, a "disease" was defiling this sacred creation.

The Wise One lowered his head and took a small pendant from his bosom. It was made of gold, with a brilliant red gem set between exquisite double rings.

An ominous light seemed to flicker faintly within the gem.

"Notify all compartments still in contact: maintain your positions. Do not step out of your compartments without orders, especially do not enter any connecting passageways."

Although he didn't know what had happened to the missing personnel, they all lost contact while active outside. The problem might lie in the act of "leaving the compartment" or "entering the connecting passage."

"Continue trying to repair the navigation system. Before the phase engine finishes charging, preparations for jump must be complete."

Without finding the specific location of the "intruder" or eliminating the risk of another interference, a reckless restart of the jump might fail again—but regardless, preparations must be made in advance. The ship's existence had already been exposed; any further delay, and the Security Bureau's fleet might arrive.

Finally, the Wise One turned to the monk reporting to him. "How far along is the Artificial Saint's revival? Why hasn't she deployed yet?"

"Reporting, the body repair is complete, but..." the monk hesitated noticeably at this point, but under the Wise One's gaze, he continued quickly, "The mind awakening encountered a problem. The Saint refuses to leave the Sacred Coffin."

"Refuses?!" Surprise finally appeared on the Wise One's always dignified and calm face. He seemed unable to believe it. "Is she afraid? Does she dare not go to battle again?"

"No, the Saint's combat spirit is high. The mind monitor shows her anger at the enemy and her steadfast faith are at their peak," the monk hurriedly explained. "It's just that... she is performing prayers to comfort the spirits of the dead, and she considers this very important."

The Wise One frowned deeply. "...Prayers? Didn't anyone tell her what's happening outside?"

"According to the safety manual, before the Artificial Saint leaves the Sacred Coffin, not too much 'external world' intelligence can be disclosed to her. Only a limited set of pre-set commands can be input into the coffin. This is to prevent her mind from breaching safety protocols," the monk explained carefully. "The monitor shows she is mourning the fallen Knights—she has an unusually deep emotional attachment to this batch of 'Knights.' The problem might be in the factory settings, or possibly related to their origin."

"Enough, I don't care about the reason. I demand that the Artificial Saint leave that damned iron coffin immediately. If she wants to pray, she can pray as much as she likes after returning—she can lie in the coffin for a hundred years for all I care. But now is not the time to waste," the Wise One waved his hand irritably. "Inject No. 4 Compound, then reboot to combat state—I'll take responsibility."

"Th-then understood. I'll convey your orders to the Sacred Coffin Chamber immediately."

The monk turned and left hastily to relay the Wise One's latest command to the Sacred Coffin Chamber.

The Invisible Monastery members at the nearby operating stations continued busy work, occasionally stealing a glance upward before quickly lowering their heads again.

Some heard faint tapping sounds from under the floor. Some heard strange noises in their headphones. Others felt eyes on them—but everyone remained silent.

The ship was gradually coming alive.

Many sensed it, including the "Wise One," who likely sensed it too.

This ship had contracted a plague called "vitality," and now the symptoms of that vibrant life had spread to half the ship's area...

…

No. 4 Compound, maximum dosage, injected into the reserve tank.

Mind reboot entering warm-up sequence, to conclude in three minutes.

Sacred Coffin energy supply normal.

Deep within the "Pillar of Order," in a round hall lit by warm yellow lights, several Invisible Monastery members in short robes were bustling about.

Several thick pipes descended from the walls and ceiling of the circular hall, converging in the center onto a device about five or six meters in diameter. The device was a deep iron-black, with numerous monitoring instruments, thin pipes, and cables along its edges, dotted with flickering lights. At the center of the whole apparatus rested a black iron container tilted at about forty-five degrees.

That was the Artificial Saint's "Sacred Coffin."

Now, a faint hum came from inside that iron coffin, as if some kind of "incubation" process was nearing its end.

An Invisible Monastery member wearing a white half-mask approached the device, checked a few readings, then waved to the others.

Assistants immediately stepped forward and placed candles in the holders on both sides of the Sacred Coffin, lighting the flames.

Then the pump device beneath the platform began to operate. The assistants bowed their heads toward the flames, offering a brief, low prayer.

"Compound entering the conduits!"

The main operator looked up, staring intently at one of the delivery tubes directly connected to the Sacred Coffin. His muscles tensed slightly.

This was a very dangerous operation. No. 4 Compound was powerful and usually required extensive preparation before use. Injecting it directly without such preparation meant a high probability of the Saint's mind melting down if something went wrong.

But now there was no time to worry about that.

An eerie and terrifying atmosphere was spreading through the Pillar of Order. Even this sacred Sacred Coffin Chamber seemed to be gradually "coming alive," with prying gazes emerging from the blessed pipes and cables.

A pale blue liquid appeared in the pipes, pumping toward the Sacred Coffin.

"No. 4 Compound contacting the neural interface pins... reaction normal."

"Saint's mind stable, entering reboot sequence."

"Recompiling sensory and expressive layers..."

Hearing the system reports, the main operator finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But the very next second, he saw the pale blue liquid suddenly stained with a layer of blood red!